Multi-receptacle drinking cup and straws

ABSTRACT

A cup ( 10 ) is disclosed which enables a user to draw beverages from two or more receptacles ( 14, 16 ) within the cup ( 10 ) through straws ( 20, 22 ) extending through a lid ( 18 ) into the respective receptacles ( 14, 16 ). The size of the straws ( 20, 22 ) may differ so that beverages of different viscosities can be drawn at the same rate from the respective receptacles ( 14, 16 ). The separate receptacles ( 14, 16 ) may be formed by a divider ( 12 ) in a single cup; alternatively, or separate receptacles may be molded and secured together by integrally molded components on the respective receptacles or by an additional element such as an elastic band. The lid ( 18 ) and cup ( 10 ) may also include complementary means to ensure that the lid ( 18 ) can only be placed on the cup with the straws extending into the proper receptacles.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), this application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/381,657, filed May 17, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to beverage containers. More particularly, this invention relates to a drinking cup from which two or more beverages can be drawn through separate straws.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A market exists for novelty drinks where two or more beverages can be served in a common container having separate receptacles for each beverage. The beverages may be of different flavors and/or viscosities. For example, a drinking cup having two receptacles might contain a vanilla shake in one receptacle and orange soda in the other receptacle. The viscosities are different but the volumes of the two beverages may be the same. Another example would be gin and tonic, which have relatively equal viscosities but would typically be supplied in significantly different volumes. There are innumerable combinations of beverages which might advantageously be served together from a single container.

As used herein, the term “cup” is intended to refer to a container of any type which is capable of holding a beverage, without limitation regarding size, shape or material.

Cups already exist which include dividers separating the cup into two (or more) receptacles so that different liquids can be consumed simultaneously through straws extending into the separate receptacles. These known cups are unable to supply equal amounts of two beverages which differ considerably in viscosity; moreover, because the cups include a permanent divider, they are relatively expensive to manufacture and impossible to stack, adding to the costs of packing and storage.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cup having separate receptacles for serving two or more beverages through straws wherein beverages of different viscosities can be delivered to the user at approximately the same rate or, conversely, beverages of the same viscosity can be delivered at different rates.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drinking cup having two or more receptacles for holding different beverages which is relatively easy to manufacture and which is stackable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A beverage cup, according to the invention, includes at least two separate receptacles for containing liquids of different viscosities, a lid for covering the top of the cup, and two straws passing through holes in the lid into respective receptacles. Straws are joined at their upper ends and are of different diameters so that beverages of different viscosities can be drawn through the two straws at approximately the same rate.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a cup for holding two or more beverages comprises two receptacles having mating faces, means for holding the two receptacles together, a lid for engaging the open ends of the two receptacles, and two straws extending through the lid into respective ones of the receptacles. The straws may have different diameters if the viscosities of the beverages within the receptacles differ. In order to ensure proper placement of the straws, the size and/or shape of the straws may be made to correspond to the size and/or shape of the holes in the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a cup according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a cup in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an assembled cup in accordance with the second embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a drinking cup in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of assembled drinking cup in accordance with the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a drinking cup in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a top perspective view of a drinking cup in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a seventh embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of an eighth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a ninth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a cup according to the ninth embodiment of the invention (without the lid);

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a tenth embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 14 is a front view of a straw in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a drinking cup 10 which includes a helix shaped divider 12 separating the cup into two separate receptacles 14 and 16 in which liquid can be retained. A lid 18 preferably is also provided.

Two straws 20 and 22 extend into the respective compartments 14 and 16 through suitably sized and shaped holes (not numbered) in lid 18. The straws have different diameters and are twisted together. When the beverages in the two receptacles are of different colors, the twisted straws provide a striking visual effect as the beverages are pulled through the straws.

In the preferred embodiment, liquids of different viscosities are provided in the separate receptacles 14 and 16. For example, a cola beverage may be provided in receptacle 14 and an ice cream milk shake in receptacle 16. In order for the two beverages to be supplied to the user's mouth in approximately equal amounts, the inner diameters of the straws 20 and 22 are selected so that the more viscous beverage is drawn through a wider diameter straw.

The plastic straws may be made of a thermoformable material. If such straws are slightly heated and twisted together, they remained intertwined after they have cooled. As indicated above, the twisting of the straws provides a striking visual effect but it is not necessary that the straws be twisted. For example, two straws of unequal diameters may be extruded as a single piece such that the two straws can be easily separated for insertion through the holes in the cup lid 18. Conversely, two or more independent straws may be fused together with heat or by means of an adhesive.

The cup and straw arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2 is attractive and has been well received; however, because of the helix divider 12 it is relatively expensive to manufacture and it is not possible to stack the cups during storage which is an inconvenience in a fast food or other restaurant because of packing and storage considerations.

A second embodiment of a cup in accordance with the invention is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. The cup comprises two cup halves 24A and 24B which have mating flat faces 25A and 25B and circumferential indentations 26, 27 and 28. The cup halves 24A and 24B are tapered making it easier to injection mold them and also making it easy to stack them, which makes packing and storage more convenient. The two halves are held together by an elastic band or rubber ring 30 which fits into the lower indentation 28. The rubber ring 30 is pushed over the smaller end of the cup and must be capable of passing over the protrusion before the indentation 28. Alternatively, the plastic may be flexible enough to yield as the ring is applied.

A lid 29 having holes 29A and 29B for receiving two straws as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is also provided. The lid 29 helps to hold the two cup halves 24A and 24B together. A downward facing U-channel 29C molded into lid 29 engages the upper edges of faces 25A and 25B thereby helping to join the two cup halves together. This reduces the possibility that the beverages will mix. The upper indentations 26 and 27 facilitate handling of the cup.

Although a round cup is shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, other cup shapes, such as rectangular, oval or elliptical can be employed. In such case, the two cup halves can be divided along either the long or short axis. Because the two cup halves 24A and 24B are symmetrical, only one molding die is needed, i.e. both halves can be produced from the same tooling.

The two cup halves 24A and 24B may be injection molded from conventional plastic material of the type used for drinking containers. It is also possible, however, to make the two halves from different materials; for example, one of the halves could be made of a foamed plastic with insulating qualities so that it could be used to hold hot beverages.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 except that a projection 32 is provided on the face 25A of cup half 24A which engages a recess 34 on the face 25B of cup half 24B. The projection 32 and complementary recess 34 may be of any suitable size and shape and helps to align the two halves together and reinforce the union by means of the rubber ring.

FIG. 6 illustrates a drinking cup in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, with the difference being in the shape of the mating surfaces 25A and 25B. In this embodiment, the faces 25A and 25B have complementary “ying” and “yang” shapes. The lid 29 includes a channel 29C shaped to conform to the mating faces 25A and 25B. This embodiment has the advantages that it is more interesting and provides additional security in holding the two halves together, but it does not stack as cleanly as the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of the invention similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 but the two cup halves 24A and 24B are molded together with a “living hinge” 36 joining the two at the top edges of faces 25A and 25B. The two cup halves 24A and 24B can flex apart and, consequently, are stackable.

FIG. 7 illustrates a slightly different lid 40 which can be used with any of the illustrated cups. The lid 40 has two holes 40A and 40B of different shapes, the hole 40A being star shaped and the hole 40B shaped as a hexagon. In this case, the straws would be similarly shaped so that it would be impossible to insert the straws to the wrong hole.

In this and all other embodiments, the overall shape of the cup or the shape of the cup rim may be molded with a protrusion (or recess) to accommodate a mating recess (or protrusion) on the lid. This would ensure that the lid is always applied in the same orientation to the cup thereby matching the holes of different diameters (or shapes) in the lid to the receptacle of the matching beverage viscosity. For example, cup halves may be color coded clear and light blue—the blue half designated as the half with the higher viscosity liquid. The blue cup half and the lid half with the larger diameter straw hole would contain mating recesses and protrusions so that the lid would not fit if the small hole were oriented to the blue half.

Another embodiment of a two compartment drinking cup in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 8. In this case there is a first receptacle 42 having an outer wall 44 and an inner wall 46. The receptacle is closed at the bottom so that the liquid is retained between the inner and outer walls 46 and 44, respectively. The second receptacle is a gently tapered cylindrical container 48 which fits within the inner wall 46 and can hold a second beverage. The inner receptacle 48 may fit snugly within the inner container wall 46 or there may be an air gap between the two surfaces to provide insulation. The inner receptacle 48 may extend above the outer receptacle 42 in which case a hat shaped lid 50 is required. A hole 52 in the rim of the hat receives the straw (not shown) which extends into the outer receptacle 42 and a hole 54 in the crown of the hat is for the straw which extends into the inner receptacle 48. Because the inner receptacle extends above the outer receptacle, the likelihood of accidental mixing of the two beverages is reduced.

By varying the diameters of the inner and outer receptacles, the volumes of the two receptacles can be equalized or differentiated as desired. An advantage of the design shown in FIG. 8 is that accidental separation of the two drink receptacles which form the cup is decreased because the inner receptacle cannot accidentally fall from the cup.

As in all other cases, the shapes of the receptacles may be varied as desired. The heights of the two receptacles can be the same or unequal as illustrated.

FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment in which an inner receptacle 56 is received within an outer receptacle 58. In this case, the outer receptacle 58 includes no inner wall and the two receptacles are held together by means of a “button” 60 at the bottom of the outer receptacle 58 which snaps into a recess 62 in the bottom of the inner receptacle 56.

FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment in which a cup 63 is molded with an internal groove formed by two ridges 64 and 66 which can receive a plastic wall 68 conforming to the shape of the cup. This arrangement is relatively inexpensive to manufacture but less effective in preventing leakage between the two beverages. The interior ridges 64 and 66 also limit the stackability of the cup.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 11 and 12, the cup half 70A is molded with a cylindrical C-shaped protrusion 72 which fits into a complementary groove 74 molded into the cup half 70B. If the protrusion and groove are slightly conical in shape, the likelihood of accidental separation of the two halves is reduced. The lid (not shown) may include a projection which fits into the protrusion 72 as well as downwardly facing U shaped numbers for engaging the tops of the adjacent cup halves.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, two identical receptacles 76A and 76B are held together by a snap-on molded plate 78 at the bottom and a snap-on molded lid 80 at the top. The bottom plate includes buttons 82 for snapping into complementary recesses 84 in the bottoms of the two receptacles.

FIG. 14 shows a second embodiment of a straw which can be used in accordance with the invention. In this case, a dual diameter straw 86 is extruded and the bottom portions of the straws are separated. Flexible sections 88 and 90 are created on each side in conventional fashion so that the straw can be bent into the shape of a tuning fork and inserted into the appropriate lid. Instead of extruding the straws together, they can be separately formed and then fused together with heat or adhesive.

The illustrated embodiments show cups that can hold two different beverages; however, the principles of the invention could be applied to three or even more beverages by relatively simple modifications of the design.

The volumes of the individual cup halves or receptacles may be the same or they may differ. It is contemplated, that the volumes will be equal in most cases; however, there are situations where different volumes will be appropriate. For example, one receptacle may have a small volume of a strong alcoholic beverage (e.g. gin) while the other has a larger volume of a mixer (e.g. tonic). By varying the diameters of the respective straws, beverages of equal viscosity but different volumes can mix to a proper proportion, just as equal volumes of beverages of different viscosities can be mixed.

Preferably, the cups are made by injection molding but other methods such as thermoforming or casting can be used. Moreover, other materials such a paper and metal may be used instead of plastics.

In the preferred embodiment, the lids are designed to ensure that the different diameter straws are automatically inserted into the proper receptacle. For this purpose, the holes in the lid may be sized and/or shaped to accept only one of the two straws. Furthermore, the lid may contain specially shaped flanges which engage complementary flanges on the cup with the arrangement being different for the two cup halves so that the lid can only be applied to the cup with the straws properly oriented. There are a number of different ways to achieve this result. One way would be to provide notches in the flange on the top of the cup and molding complementary tabs on the cup lid (or vice versa). 

1. A cup for holding two or more beverages, comprising two receptacles having mating faces, means for holding the two receptacles together, a lid adapted to engage the open ends of the joined receptacles, and two straws extending through said lid into the respective receptacles, the straws being joined together so that the ends of the straws extending from the cup are accessible to a single user.
 2. A cup according to claim 1, wherein said means for holding includes elastic ring.
 3. A cup according to claim 1, wherein the upper edges of said mating faces are joined together by a living hinge.
 4. A cup according to claim 1, wherein one of the receptacles is placed within the other.
 5. A cup according to claim 1, where the diameters of the straws are different.
 6. A cup according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shapes of the straws are different.
 7. A cup according to claim 1, including means for insulating each receptacle from the other.
 8. A cup according to claim 1, wherein said lid includes a downwardly facing unshaped channel for engaging the upper edges of said mating faces.
 9. A cup according to claim 1, wherein said lid and cup include complementary means for ensuring a predetermined orientation of the lid with respect to the cup whereby the diameters of the straws can be matched to the viscosities of the beverages within said receptacles.
 10. A cup having at least two separate receptacles for containing liquids of different viscosities, a lid for covering the top of the cup, and two straws passing through holes in the lid and into the respective receptacles, said straws being of different diameters whereby beverages of different viscosities can be drawn through the two straws at approximately the same rate, said two straws being joined together so that the ends of the straws extending from the cup are accessible to a single user.
 11. A cup according claim 8, wherein the two receptacles are formed by a divider in a single cup.
 12. A cup according to claim 8, wherein the receptacles are separable and include mating faces, and further including means for holding the two receptacles together.
 13. A cup according to claim 12, wherein said means for holding includes elastic ring.
 14. A cup according to claim 12, wherein the upper edges of said receptacles are joined together by a living hinge.
 15. An cup according to claim 12, wherein one of the receptacles is placed within the other.
 16. A cup according to claim 12, wherein the cross-sectional shapes of the straws are different.
 17. A cup according to claim 12, including means for insulating each receptacle from the other.
 18. A cup according to claim 12, wherein said lid includes a downwardly facing unshaped channel for engaging the upper edges of said receptacles.
 19. A cup according to claim 12, wherein said lid and cup include complementary means for ensuring a predetermined orientation of the lid with respect to the cup whereby the diameters of the straws can be matched to the viscosities of the beverages within said receptacles.
 20. A cup according to claim 10, wherein the straws are joined at their upper ends.
 21. A cup according to claim 20, wherein the straws are joined by twisting them together. 